Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Monday, June 28, 2010

Today was just too hot to go out and play, so we packed up our "book bag", some sippy cups of water, and our library card and headed to the library! Savannah was excited and wanted me to find the Owl Babies book, first thing!!! This is a book we read many months ago, turned it in, and she has not since forgotten what a good read it is. So, while Savannah meandered the aisles of books, I was on an Owl Babies mission!

What a joy to watch her picking out books and "reading" them.

I wandered over to the "parent" section keeping an ear out for miss yellow who was one aisle over. The sounds of books sliding off metal shelves, some falling on the floor.... and pages turning let me know she was still just one aisle over. But it wasn't long before I was calling her name....then calling again. Not getting a response, I was on my feet to the end of the aisle where Noah was sitting patiently in his stroller. I looked both ways only to see her...........

---sitting beside a little boy on a comfy bench in a quiet corner. When I asked her what she was doing, she told me she liked his bookmark (notice on the left), so she sat beside him. Maybe she thought if she sat with him, he'd give it to her.....who knows?

As with any young 3 year old, this position didn't last long. She was up and looking for more books....and yes, she brought me the little boys bookmark. He was so engrossed in his book, he didn't notice. We kindly walked it back to him and placed it back beside his still leg.

Such a big girl picture! (We placed MANY books on the "put back" cart.)

After a bathroom trip, book checkout, and another bathroom trip....we were on our way back out into the heat to the car. Savannah plopped on this bench and I decided to try to get a shot of her and Noah when a sweet lady walking up said, "Would you like me to take a picture of all of you?" So here we are!

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Oh how I have missed my piano students! But I'm back in gear and ready to start again. Enrolling students for August! I am offering a new program for 4 year olds! Recitals are being planned! Lots to be excited about. If your child is a former student and you'd like to reenroll them, send me an e-mail or give me a call. If you are interested in enrolling your child as a new student, please let me know so we can chat about a few things.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

We LOVE this game! I saw this game packed away in a cabinet at our church and recommended it to my grandma as a gift idea for Savannah's birthday. Granny found it at Toys R Us and as soon as Savannah opened it, she recognized the famous green bedroom with the distinct room articles....and that bold yellow title...she didn't need to read. She knew it was Good Night Moon.

Based on the Margaret Wise Brown children's classic, this game requires no reading skills and has several educational features! One of the most obvious skills is turn-taking. At three years old, Savannah is at the age where she needs to learn how to take turns. There are several game options, but we have chosen the simple "hold up a card and see who has it on their board....give it to them to place on their board" option! Sounds a little boring, but not to a 3 year old who hasn't had experience with board games. There is no "loser" in this game...that lesson will come soon enough.

It teaches matching and memory skill-building. Helps develop cognitive, visual, and language skills too! Not to mention the important social skills: following rules and sharing and respecting others! The age recommendation is 2.5 to 6 years old. I don't know that a 6 year old would enjoy it, but if you have a young child at home, this game is a great one to have in your stash!

Just thought I'd share! And now, good night stars, good night air, good night noises everywhere.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Friday, we visited Smith's Nursery in Benson once again (off Raleigh Rd. on Sanders Rd if you've never been and would like to visit-it's a great outing with kiddos!)....this time for blueberries! My long time friend from elementary/high school, Sarah, invited us for lunch, so we met here and picked. She lives right across the street! How wonderful to have this bounty so close by. Such a pretty morning for picking. Very few "pickers" were out, so we enjoyed chatting across the rows of blueberry bushes while listening to our young ones play at the nearby water station. Sure, they picked a few handfuls, but the heat of the morning had them flocking to the shady water cooler within a few minutes. I did manage to get a few "picking" shots...

Savannah held our bucket for the first part of our picking. As she picked, she ate. As I picked, she ate. So, I took over her job of holding the bucket. She continued to pick and eat...

Sweet Caitlin enjoying the outdoors!!

I was disheartened when my camera battery died and I did not have my backup, so I didn't get to capture the "play" happening at the water table and the edge of the woods. Take my word, the kids enjoyed themselves and I look forward to going again! Our blueberries are already gone!!! Hint hint Sarah........ =) Let's go!!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

This was so much fun to make and very affordable!!! She definitely needs some decor on her walls and I could think of nothing better than art that captures who she is right now at three years old! These are 12X12 pages that I plan to frame and hang with ribbon. Then, if I decide to change them out next year for current photos, I can place these in an album! Excited for their arrival in the mail...

If you're updating your home decor (anywhere in your home), these inexpensive pages are easy to make and affordable at $3.95 each. The page feels like you're holding an actual photo....the paper is great quality!

Well, off to more "picture playtime." Stay tuned for more projects in the making...

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

3 years old! It's hard to believe. Savannah was born on June 15, 2007 at 7:59 pm at Johnston Memorial Hospital. She weighed 6lbs and 2oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. A precious baby girl. That night, we felt an overwhelming sense of both joy and responsibility.

Over that past 3 years, we have watched our little girl develop many traits that make her....her. And we love her for who she is. I feel reminiscent this week, so I thought I would devote this post to who Savannah is at the ripe young age of 3 years old. I know I will leave things out, but one day, she will hopefully see that I made good effort to record not only her developmental milestones, but the little things that make her....her! (I will warn you, this is a lengthy post, but after all, it is a year in the life of a child.)

Her "1 year old" picture....

Her 2nd birthday...

The remainder of this post includes the events that followed this picture....all the way to her 3rd birthday. Enjoy!

Over the last year, Savannah has graduated to a big girl bed...

She became a big sister...and what a great one she is!

She takes one nap after lunch for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours....

Her most favorite activity outside is to dig in the dirt!!

Wow....our sandbox sure has improved!

This was her favorite book! She even slept with it under her pillow many nights!

She learned to use the potty...

She loves taking care of her babies...

She went to the state fair for the first time.....

She was a cow for halloween, while little brother Noah was a farmer! CUTE!!!!!

She enjoyed our beach trip in November....and one of the hi-lights, petting a baby alligator!!

She ate lots of great food at Uncle Fred's and Aunt Denise's for Thanksgiving!

She even had her own kitchen play area complete with dishes, food, and a fall decorated table! She had so much fun playing while the adults "socialized."

Watching the ducks wade in the pond was also a hi-light!

She had her hair put up in rollers for the first time....she was so good! We were getting ready for Aunt Melissa and Uncle Michael's wedding.

A little beauty.....dancing at the wedding.

She really enjoyed making cookies at Christmas time! Picking out the cookie cutter shapes excited her and it was so fun to watch her "light up" while she worked!

The day after Christmas, she enjoyed playing with Noah's toys just as much as her own!

During the day, some of her favorite things to do include:

~reading to baby brother

~playing with stickers and drawing/coloring with markers...

~playing with one of the greatest things ever invented....play doh!!!

~playing the piano with Noah...

When she is sick, which thankfully isn't very often, this is where she likes to be! January '10, she was sick for several days with a bad cold and ear infection.

Just sitting sweetly in her bed waiting for story time... You really are growing up, Savannah!

Many days, at nap time, she loves to lay in bed and just flip through the pages of her "big girl Bible." There are no pictures, yet she loves to turn the pages and sometimes pretend to read the stories. I love watching her through the crack of her door.

Enjoying one of several snows in 2010~ This was an icy snow which made it very difficult to walk (especially with all of those clothes on!!! ) =)

She enjoyed celebrating valentine's "day" all week long! We sent homemade cards to all the grandparents and made heart-shaped cookies for daddy.

She loves to take walks down the street to visit Sandy, the horse and feed her apples.

Easter was so much fun! The saturday before, she enjoyed an egg hunt at church. The following day, we spent Easter with Papa and Nana and all the family (and another egg hunt!) Great weekend memories!

A great family beach trip in April to celebrate "gigi's" 75th birthday! Savannah loves the beach!

"Look, I can brush my teeth!!"

She loves to have her toe nails painted.

More of her favorite things...

~painting...

~more painting... (especially her hands!!)

~running through the sprinkler (before we had the chance to put her bathing suit on)

~drawing on the windows...(with window crayons)

~"reading" mommy's bible (this is so precious to watch)...

~and playing dress up with mommy's high heels.

She had such fun picking strawberries in the early spring...

And seeing another baby brother for the first time was very special!

She loves to play with Abigail when they are together and this day was no exception...we put them in the tub together at the lake and listened to them laugh and be silly little girls. A great memory!

Her birthday present.....a sandbox built by daddy! She loved it so much!

And now, our little Savannah is 3...She's growing so quickly. I'm so thankful to have her in my nest. She's a precious life...one I get to watch blossom every day.

Father, thank you for this gift....one I treasure so deep within me. She is Yours first! Direct her paths, and may this next year be just as full of priceless memories.